Tropical Conservation and Development

Tropical Conservation and Development TCD offers an interdisciplinary certificate and concentration to students enrolled in Master's or Ph.D. programs.

Since the mid-1980s, the University of Florida's Tropical Conservation and Development (TCD) Program has drawn on multiple disciplines, methods and skills to understand and address the challenges of complex social-ecological systems in the tropics. The Tropical Conservation and Development (TCD) Program draws on the participation of core faculty and approximately 100 faculty affiliates housed in o

ver 25 academic units across campus. The TCD program complements the knowledge and skill sets that students develop in their home units, emphasizing student learning outside their immediate discipline and the ability to think in terms of linked social-ecological systems, work in teams, communicate in nonacademic formats, and reflect critically on their own perspectives and actions. TCD funds support regular competitions for graduate fellowships, assistantships, research grants, and student practitioner experiences, as well as orientations and retreats, a weekly student-led seminar series and other on- and off-campus activities that support collective learning about the cutting-edge thinking and practical issues of conservation and development. An interdisciplinary student organization and an alumni network provide valuable opportunities for critical discussion, collaboration, and sharing of practical experience. You can get involved in the TCD community by subscribing to the TCD listserv or participating in TCD events. If you are a new student, see the Step by Step page of how to sign up for a TCD Concentration/Certificate. We invite you to navigate through the TCD Program's website and contact us for more information or questions!

📢 Join us for our upcoming webinar!🔥 ¿Estamos preparados para 2026? / Estamos prontos para 2026? / Are We Ready for 2026...
06/18/2026

📢 Join us for our upcoming webinar!

🔥 ¿Estamos preparados para 2026? / Estamos prontos para 2026? / Are We Ready for 2026?
Lessons from Brazil and Bolivia on Wildfires

📅 June 29

🕓 4 PM (Lima, Bogotá, Quito) | 5 PM (EST, La Paz) | 6 PM (Brasília)

🎙️ Featuring: Ane Alencar, Huáscar Azurduy, Armando Rodriguez, and Abel Castillo

🌎 Fire, exacerbated by droughts and extreme temperatures, continues to threaten forests across Brazil and Bolivia. Drawing on lessons from recent wildfire events, this panel will explore the institutional strengths, challenges, and opportunities for preventing and managing forest fires in 2026.

🎧 Simultaneous interpretation in Spanish, Portuguese, and English.

🔗 Registration: https://ufl.zoom.us/meeting/register/Lk2KqRqdSMunCfbF5OKfGg

06/17/2026

🎥 Interview from Power of Connections workshop participant

🎤 Antonio Matapi – Macroterritorio Jaguares de Yurupari

🌱 Strengthening Indigenous autonomy is key to long-term conservation and governance

💬 What is the biggest challenge to strengthening Indigenous autonomy today?

👇 Share your experience

—
ES: ¿Cuál es el mayor desafío para fortalecer la autonomía indígena hoy?
PT: Qual é o maior desafio para fortalecer a autonomia indígena hoje?

🔗 https://youtu.be/5os8WfWBxXw

 

06/15/2026

🎥 Reflections from the Tropical Conservation and Development (TCD) Program Network

🎤 Featuring TCD alumni Maria DiGiano, Nina Attias, Galo Zapata-Ríos, and Hernan G. Álvarez

🌱 The TCD network is more than a professional community—it creates lifelong connections, collaborations, and opportunities that shape both personal and professional journeys

💬 How has being part of a community or network influenced your life and career?

👇 Share your experience

🔗  https://youtu.be/ENDdx_mY04M

06/10/2026

🎥 Interview from Power of Connections workshop participant

🎤 Maria Emilia Arcos – Redes de Bosque Escuelas

🌱 Education and connection to nature are key to shaping the next generation of conservation leaders

💬 What barriers do emerging leaders face today?

👇 Share your experience

—
ES: ¿Qué barreras enfrentan los nuevos líderes?
PT: Quais barreiras enfrentam novas lideranças?

🔗 https://youtu.be/mBIeoR7WlwE

 

06/08/2026

🎥 Reflections from the Tropical Conservation and Development (TCD) Program

🎤 Featuring TCD alumni Maria DiGiano, Andrea Baudoin Farah, Claudio Valladares Padua, and Hernan G. Álvarez, and current student Silvia Melo Futada

🌱 The impact of TCD extends far beyond the classroom—strengthening careers, communities, partnerships, and conservation efforts across the tropics

💬 How has a network, program, or mentor helped shape your work and impact?

👇 Share your experience

🔗 https://youtu.be/tQMRyjjmM2g

06/03/2026

🎥 Interview from Power of Connections workshop participant
🎤 Rafael Martins da Silva – Ministério Público Federal do Pará

🌱 Protecting Indigenous territories requires strong legal action—but also long-term commitment

💬 What actions have been most effective in protecting territories in your experience?

👇 Share your view

—
ES: ¿Qué acciones han sido más efectivas para proteger territorios?
PT: Quais ações foram mais eficazes para proteger territórios?

🔗 https://youtu.be/zsA73epO38E

05/27/2026

🎥 Interview from Power of Connections workshop participant
🎤 Jaime Xamen – UFMG

🌱 Oral histories and ancestral knowledge are essential to understanding territories and their histories

💬 How can ancestral knowledge strengthen research today?

👇 Share your experience

—
ES: ¿Cómo puede el conocimiento ancestral fortalecer la investigación?
PT: Como o conhecimento ancestral pode fortalecer a pesquisa?

🔗 https://youtu.be/fsHQWBg5cy4

 

05/20/2026

🎥 Interview from Power of Connections workshop participant

🎤 Gersem dos Santos – Universidade de Brasília

🌱 Valuing Indigenous knowledge means recognizing it as central—not complementary—to research and education

💬 What is needed to truly value Indigenous knowledge today?

👇 Share your perspective

—
ES: ¿Qué se necesita para valorar realmente el conocimiento indígena?
PT: O que é necessário para valorizar o conhecimento indígena?

🔗https://youtu.be/rzzlX1Rmcic

 

🌿 Join our new “Amazonian Dialogue” webinar series📅 Thursday, May 21💡 Design Thinking + AI for Amazon Conservation and B...
05/18/2026

🌿 Join our new “Amazonian Dialogue” webinar series

📅 Thursday, May 21
💡 Design Thinking + AI for Amazon Conservation and Beyond

Led by Javier García Blásquez López, Coordinator of Social Responsibility at Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC) and leader of the “Protagonistas del Cambio” program.

In this interactive 90-minute workshop, participants will explore how Design Thinking and Generative AI can help transform ideas, challenges, and opportunities into concrete, testable solutions — with a hands-on and action-oriented approach.

✨ Ideal for entrepreneurs, educators, innovators, researchers, and decision-makers interested in conservation and social innovation.

🗣 Presentation in Spanish
🎧 Simultaneous interpretation available in English and Portuguese

🔗 Register here:
https://ufl.zoom.us/meeting/register/ZcA0IW2GQz6_zXy_usVzoA 

   

05/13/2026

🎥 Interview from Power of Connections workshop participant
🎤 Cristina Miranda – Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP)

🌱 Conservation is strongest when science and community knowledge come together

💬 How can these different forms of knowledge collaborate better?

👇 Share your experience

—
ES: ¿Cómo pueden colaborar mejor la ciencia y el conocimiento comunitario?
PT: Como a ciência e o conhecimento comunitário podem colaborar melhor?

🔗 https://youtu.be/JeKf5MYBCf8

Address

343 Grinter Hall
Gainesville, FL
32611

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+13522734734

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